


Our Sweetest Songs

by ravenofazarath2



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:40:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24628702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenofazarath2/pseuds/ravenofazarath2
Summary: A series of BBRae one-shots based on different songs. Mostly just a bunch of fluff. Rated mature for language and future adult themes.
Relationships: Garfield Logan/Raven
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Shut Up and Dance (Walk the Moon)

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be just a bunch of little things, mostly unrelated, based on songs I think fit BBRae. Sometimes I'll use the actual song, sometimes I'll just base it off the song. I don't own the rights to Teen Titans or any of the songs I use. This first one is based on Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. Hope you like it.

Beast Boy strolled up to the bar out of breath. He had just spent the last five minutes losing himself on the dance floor, and he needed a drink.

"Here you go, BB," Cyborg said, sliding a glass of water towards the changeling. "Gotta stay hydrated."

"Thanks, Cy," Beast Boy responded, still panting. He lifted the glass to his lips and downed it all in one gulp. Putting the now empty glass of water down, he signaled to the bartender for another Jack and Coke, his staple for the night.

Cyborg chuckled. "Enjoying your twenty-first?"

"Fuck, yeah," Beast Boy said. Being the youngest Titan, he had always been stuck alone in the Tower when the team decided to go clubbing. Well, almost alone. But Raven never left her room those nights, so alone he was. Now, he was twenty-one, and he could get in to the clubs, so Robin decided a part out was a great idea. Somehow, he had even convinced Raven to come. "This night's awesome!"

The bartender placed Beast Boy's drink in front of him, then walked away to fix another customer's drink.

Beast Boy took a drink and turned to Cyborg. "I've really been missing out."

"We figured you'd enjoy this," Cyborg said, a smile on his lips.

Beast Boy glanced around the club, taking it all in. It was dark with blue lights providing a glow just enough to see. High tables were scattered in a loose perimeter around the dance floor. Just beyond those, a few filled love seats and sofas resided. Waitresses in skimpy outfits walked around serving drinks. He turned his attention back to the dance floor, where he spotted Robin and Starfire dancing to whatever EDM song just started. Robin was really letting loose.

"She's been real good for him," Beast Boy commented.

Cyborg followed Beast Boy's line of sight to the couple. "That she has," he agreed. "He's finally relaxed and started having fun."

They watched the couple for a bit, sipping on their drinks. When their dancing started getting dirty, Beast Boy blushed and resumed looking around the club.

As he glanced at the same table for the third time, he realized he hadn't seen Raven since they had arrived. _She must have snuck back to the Tower_ , he thought, a pang of disappointment flowing through him. They didn't always get along, but he liked spending time with Raven. She seemed to be warming up to him, even granting him the tiniest of smiles one time. Seeing that made something happen, deep down inside him, and he vowed to try to get her to smile for him again.

He sighed. Raven wasn't here. He wasn't going to let that throw too big of a damper on his night. He downed the rest of his drink and turned back towards the bar to order another. As he waited to get the bartender's attention, he was vaguely aware that the EDM song ended and some upbeat pop song began.

Suddenly, a cold hand grabbed Beast Boy's elbow. Startled, he looked down to meet a pair of violet eyes. "Raven!"

Without saying a word, she started dragging him towards the dance floor.

Beast Boy looked back at Cyborg. He looked just as surprise as the green changeling felt.

"Don't you dare look back," Raven deadpanned.

Beast Boy quickly turned his eyes forward towards his teammate. He looked her up and down. She was wearing an over-sized, purple and black plaid flannel, what looked like maybe a black skater dress underneath, and beat up, black, high-top Chucks. She looked so, well, _Raven_ , and it was cute.

Raven suddenly stopped and turned towards him, dropping her hand from his arm and lowering her eyes on the floor.

Beast Boy glanced over his shoulder at Cyborg, who still looked to be in complete shock.

Raven placed her hand on his jaw and turned his face back towards her. "Keep your eyes on me."

The two stood, looking into each other's eyes. Beast Boy was shocked. Did she want to dance? But that was so unlike her, surely that wasn't it. The confusion was killing him, so he did what he always did when he was uncomfortable. He began rambling. "Um... Rae? What - what are you doing? I know you wan't something, but what? You're holding back-"

Raven placed the tips of her fingers against his lips, silencing him. She took a deep breath in, held it for a few seconds, then slowly breathed it back out. "Shut up, and dance with me." She closed her eyes and began slowly swaying to the music.

Beast Boy just kept standing there, still bewildered by this whole situation. She _did_ want to dance. Was she drunk? A quick sniff told him she was as sober as could be. Instead of easing him, her lack of intoxicants befuddled him even more. "Rae-"

Her eyes snapped open, glaring into his. Her meaning was clear. _Shut up, and dance_.

He gazed into her eyes, searching past the surface annoyance for anything to explain her out of character actions to him. She was... pleading? Begging. Then something clicked in Beast Boy's mind. This was his chance to make her smile again.

In a sudden burst of movement, Beast Boy grabbed Raven's hand, spun her, and pulled her in close to him. The startled look and slight blush on her face made him smile. "You're going to have to relax if you want to have fun. Don't just hear the music. _Feel_ the music." Knowing she could sense his emotions, he pushed down the confusion he felt and tried to exude only joy.

She nodded slightly and tightened her grip on Beast Boy's hand.

Taking her response as a cue, Beast Boy spun Raven back out and led her through steps and turns. For the first time in his life, he was glad Rita had taught him swing all those years ago. With each spin, Raven's demeanor grew lighter. He felt the familiarity of a long forgotten dream. At the sight of a small smile forming on her lips, Beast Boy's heart began thumping in his chest. Still, she was holding back.

"Feel it in your soul," Beast Boy whispered in Raven's ear as he pulled her in before a tight spin.

Her hand tightened on his, and her breath hitched. Beast Boy could have sworn her pupils dilated, but it was hard to tell in this lighting.

Raven suddenly pushed away, conflicting emotions passing over her face. She took a deep breath and, with a determined look, took off her flannel and tossed it back towards Cyborg. "Did I say to stop dancing?" she asked with a smirk. She began swiveling her hips, her hands reaching up through her hair.

Beast Boy followed her lead and resumed dancing, his eyes never leaving her. He placed a hand on her hip and pulled her a little closer.

In a burst of confidence, Raven grabbed Beast Boy's shirt and pulled him against her. Leaving her hands on his chest, she kept dancing.

Having nothing better to do with his hands, he slid them to her back, where he felt - skin? He spun her and saw that her dress was backless. She was being bold tonight. Now it was his turn.

"C'mon, girl!" he exclaimed as he pulled Raven through a series of spins and lifts. He noticed his fingers brushed along her spine at every possible chance, almost as if they had a mind of their own. For the first time since she dragged him out, Beast Boy felt truly at ease. He felt like this was where he belonged, out here dancing his heart out with Raven in his arms. It felt right. He wanted to spend the rest of his life like this. With her.

As the music lessened in intensity, preparing to build to a big finish, Raven pulled away. Beast Boy was afraid he pushed her too much until he saw her smile. It was the biggest and purest smile he had ever seen.

Time seemed to slow down as Raven began spinning on her own, her arms outstretched and eyes closed in bliss. Her dress flowed in a circle around her. She was truly beautiful.

Beast Boy watched, and he realized what the feeling rising in his chest was. He loved her. He loved _Raven_. He was in love with his beautiful, smart, even fun teammate. And he was sure she loved him, too, even if she didn't know it yet. She wouldn't have done any of this if she didn't, birthday or no.

Time came crashing back as Raven stopped, one hand in her hair and one raised in the air. There was a pause in the music as the singer sang the zenith line of the song. Raven sang along with it. The final chorus began, and Raven began jumping. She continued singing along, and she whipped her hair around.

Beast Boy had never seen her have so much fun in his life. He joined in, one hand on her hip, the other intertwined with one of hers.

As the song ended, Beast Boy pulled Raven into him. She rested her head on his chest, panting. Beast Boy struggled to catch his own breath and rested his hand on the small of her back. Subconsciously, his thumb rubbed her soft skin. This was it. He couldn't lie to himself anymore. He loved Raven; he always had and he always will. He was left with no choice but to go after her, show her all his love. After all, this woman was his destiny.


	2. Black Bird (The Beatles)

A knock on the door pulled Raven out of her attempt at meditation.

"Hey, Rae?"

The voice on the other side of the door startled the girl out of her levitation and she fell onto her bed. _Beast Boy_. "What?" Raven's voice quivered as she tried to sound like her normal, monotonous self.

"Can I come in?" His voice sounded slightly nervous. "Please?"

"Raven thought for a second, then quickly wiped the stray tears from her cheeks as she said, "Sure, whatever."

The door slid open and Beast Boy stepped in. "How are you holding up?" The green changeling cautiously stepped towards Raven's bed and the door slid closed behind him.

"I gave you permission to be in here; you don't need to act like I'm about to murder you or something," Raven said, avoiding the question.

"Beast Boy looked at her, then forced himself to relax, leaning against the post of Raven's four-poster bed. He noticed faint streaks of dried tears on his friend's cheeks. "You know it's not true."

Raven struggled to suppress her rising grief as she raised her eyes to meet Beast Boy's. She pulled her knees to her chest in an attempt to keep her emotions under control. "He called me a monster."

Beast Boy fought the urge to hold his friend as he watched tears begin to form in her eyes. "Jason Todd's an asshole. He says things to hurt those around him. You have to take it with a grain of salt."

"But he's not wrong," Raven spoke softly. "If I lose full control of my powers, I will be a monster. Today, we got lucky. No one got hurt. But next time could be much worse. It's only a matter of time before the evil in me takes control, and when it does, I can't guarantee I won't hurt you." A drop of wetness on her knee brought Raven's attention to the fact that she was crying again and she looked away. She had to stop crying. Since Trigon, her emotions have been less dangerous, but that didn't mean they were safe and slip ups happened. _Stop crying_. She knew fighting it was useless though. Bottled up emotions always eventually spill over.

Beast Boy watched as the tears began to flow freely and Raven's shoulders began to shake. He had never seen her cry before, and his heart yearned to take away her pain. He sat on her bed and hugged her to his chest.

His touch sent Raven into a crying fit unlike any she had had before. She knew that she couldn't protect her friends, her family. She loved them - she loved _him_ \- and she knew that, in the end, she would destroy them. She clutched Beast Boy's shirt as she cried tears she could no longer fight.

She was falling into herself, into her despair, and she wasn't sure she'd make it back out. Jason's words kept echoing in her head. _You need to get control of your powers, or you'll become the monster your father created you to be_. There was nothing, she was nothing, nothing compared to the evil within her.

" _Blackbird singing in the dead of night_."

The sung words momentarily halted Raven's sobs.

" _Take these broken wings and learn to fly_."

She looked up at Beast Boy, tears streaming down her face.

He softly smiled down at her and brushed away her hair that was sticking to her wet cheeks. " _All your life_ ," he continued singing, " _you were only waiting for this moment to arise_." Beast Boy couldn't help but notice she looked beautiful with the candlelight reflecting in her watery, violet eyes.

Calm overcame Raven's body and mind. This was her favorite song. And Beast Boy was singing it to her. A faint memory of drunkenly sharing favorites flitted across her mind.

"Don't stop," Raven breathed, burying her head into Beast Boy's chest.

" _Blackbird singing in the dead of night_ ," he continued, stroking her hair. He kept singing as her hiccuping breath began to slow. " _Blackbird fly, blackbird fly into the light of the dark black night_."

As her body began relaxing, Raven felt her eyes begin to close. There was something about his voice singing that song that made her feel safe. In his arms, in this moment, she was home. She was loved.

Beast Boy gently laid Raven in her bed as he finished, " _You were only waiting for this moment to arise_." He pulled the covers over his friend and kissed her forehead. "Everything's going to be okay, my blackbird."

He stood to leave, but a weak grip on his wrist stopped him.

"Please don't leave, Gar," a half-asleep Raven begged.

Beast Boy smiled and lay down, pulling Raven to him. He knew that he would not always be able to save her, but in this moment, his love for her was enough.


	3. The Only Exception (Paramore)

Love was never an emotion Raven had thought she'd ever feel. It wasn't so much that she didn't think herself capable; it was more like she would never allow herself to love. Love was a weakness. She learned that from her mother's own story. Arella had loved and trusted the people who forced her to marry Trigon. Hell, she had even loved the interdimensional space demon. But he didn't love her. He just wanted to use her to procreate, to create his _precious gem_. His portal to dimensional domination. And her father had never loved anyone either. He was actually incapable of it, being a demon and all. That gave her a predisposition to not particularly care for any of the particularly good emotions, including love.

Her time on Azarath had lessened her desire for ever finding a significant other. Sure, Azar cared, but it was for the good of the universe, not for Raven. Other monks were opposed to Raven being there, and made it well known. Every day, she learned to shun her feelings, her true self, while not trusting others to ever help her. It made for a life of loneliness.

And Raven's very short time with Malchior only cemented the belief that she should be alone. Like Trigon did her and her mom, Malchior used Raven for her for his own selfish needs. She had trusted him; she probably had even been on her way to loving him. But he lied to her, manipulated her. Just so he could escape and, you guessed it, gain world domination. That was her first and last time ever thinking she could have love.

Starfire somehow seemed to know all this and was on a mission to prove Raven wrong. It started with attempts at setting Raven up with one of Star's many adoring fans, sometimes even tricking Raven into "girl time" that was really just a blind date. Raven declined every time. Finally, Raven confronted the Tamaranean, telling her she wasn't looking for a relationship, ever. That's when Starfire took the slightly more subtle route and began forcing Raven to watch rom-coms and Disney movies with her (I mean, come on, "conceal, don't feel," could it be any more obvious?). Raven had tried to talk her way out of those, but even she couldn't say no to Star's puppy-dog eyes. And after a while, Raven started to question her stance on love.

It had been the night Starfire had insisted on watching some movie called _Moulin Rouge_. It was a movie musical about a French prostitute, sorry courtesan, falling in love with an English writer, with all the songs being pop songs from the 80s and 90s. Although Raven would never admit it out loud, she did kind of love the movie. Being well-read, she really appreciated the obvious allusions to Orpheus in the Underworld, as well as all the symbols, costumes, and sets that subtly pushed the movie's message. The message that, surprisingly, really hit her hard.

_The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return_.

Raven's meditations seemed to be haunted by that sentence. Could she really love somebody?

That's when Beast Boy had started acting weird. Or at least, that's when she finally noticed it.

"Good morning, Rae!" Beast Boy exclaimed as Raven walked into the kitchen.

_Since when did he get up before me?_ Raven thought. She responded with a stiff, "Hi." Intending to start making her morning tea, she moved to the stove only to see the kettle was already warm, cooling now actually. She turned towards Beast Boy to see her favorite mug sitting on the counter in front of him, his hand holding the handle.

Seeing her looking at the mug, Beast Boy smiled. "I thought I'd help you get a headstart on your day by making your tea for you," he explained.

A blush rose up into her cheeks, surprising the empath. When did she start blushing? "Th-thanks," she said, grabbing the mug. Their fingers brushed, and for a split second, Raven revelled in the warmth his fingers provided and her heart sputtered. Noting the odd reaction, she quickly pulled her mug, and by proxy her hand, away from Beast Boy's grasp. What was with her today? Without meeting Beast Boy's eyes, she turned to return to her room.

A hand on her arm stopped her. A _green_ hand. She looked at it, then looked up at the owner. Her eyes met Beast Boy's for the first time in maybe ever. They were a deep, forest green, but a closer inspection revealed gold flecks dancing throughout his iris. She couldn't seem to pull herself away.

"Would you want to go out with me?"

Raven felt herself blushing for the second time that morning. "Like... a date?" she asked cautiously.

Beast Boy's hand immediately withdrew and he threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. As if he were afraid of how Raven might react. She almost missed the blush spreading across her teammate's cheeks. "No! Just, like, as f-friends, ya know?"

"Oh." Raven finally broke her gaze into the changeling's eyes to look down to the floor.

"We just haven't hung out much, and I was interested in how you're doing. We could talk over coffee or something. But if you don't want to-"

"Sure," Raven interrupted. "I'll just need to get ready." She rushed out of the kitchen and headed towards her room, leaving an appalled Beast Boy behind.

She was going on a _not date_ with Beast Boy. Why was this giving her a weird, almost nauseating feeling in her stomach? She ducked into her room and rushed to her closet. Moving quickly, she threw on a pair of torn, dark grey, high-waisted jeans and a black Metallica crop top. She laced up her black combat boots while she used her powers to grab her faux black leather jacket, then she headed back to the kitchen.

Beast Boy was standing with his back to her, cleaning the tea kettle. "Ready?" he asked without turning around.

"Yeah," Raven deadpanned, trying her hardest to hide the fact that her eyes were drifting over his backside. Seriously, what was with her today?

"Cool." Beast Boy finally turned to face her, the muscles in his arms rippling as drying his hands on a dish towel. For some reason, the sight made that nauseous feeling return to Raven's stomach. "Dude! You like Metallica?"

"Huh?" Raven responded.

The changeling pointed to Raven's shirt. "You're wearing Metallica."

Raven looked down at her shirt. So she was. "Oh, yeah. I listen to them sometimes, when I feel emotionally stable enough to do so. 'Fade to Black' is my favorite song by them."

"That's so awesome. I love Metallica, especially 'Master of Puppets.'"

"I see..." Raven was never the best at small talk like this. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, just out on the town." Beast Boy grabbed Raven's hands, eliciting a blush from both of them, and led her out the door of the Tower.

The day with Beast Boy had gone a lot better than she thought it would. They started out stopping by a cafe, Beast Boy buying Raven a tea since she hadn't had hers before they left. They sat there for a while, then Beast Boy led the way to a bookstore. After browsing the shelves, Beast Boy had picked out some comic books and Raven had found a few new books she didn't have yet. Beast Boy insisted on paying for those too. They grabbed lunch at a small bistro, Beast Boy paying yet again. For a not day, he really did pay for her a lot. The two Titans talked a lot over lunch, the exchange never dull. The day out ended with a stroll in the park, where their conversation turned more somber. Raven learned that Beast Boy's past wasn't as happy-go-lucky as the changeling himself was. She suspected his sense of humor was actually just a coping mechanism for the pain he went through and trauma of losing his parents.

When they got back to the tower, Beast Boy walked Raven to her door. That's when things felt the least _not date_. He was leaning against the door frame as they were finishing talking. A strand of hair had fallen in Raven's face, and Beast Boy had reached out and tucked it back behind Raven's ear, the palm of his hand lingering on her cheek. His heat sent little electric tingles through Raven's skin, and her stomach fluttered again. Their eyes met, and Raven was once again lost in his dark green irises. The two Titans started leaning closer to each other, as if they were opposite ends of a magnet being drawn together.

A giggle inside her mind from a certain, purple-cloaked emoticlone, broke Raven out of the daze. She quickly pulled back, causing Beast Boy to return his hand to his side. "So, um, I had a good time. Thanks." She quickly phased through her door. Once in her room, she placed her back against the closed door. She put her hand on her chest in an attempt to slow her pounding heart. There was no denying it, not anymore. She had feelings for Beast Boy. And, if his actions were any proof, it was quite possible he liked her back. After talking today, she knew so much more about him. She knew he wouldn't use her for his own personal gain. He cared for her already, as a teammate. It wouldn't be hard to move up to something more. Her eyes scanned her bookshelf until it landed on a small, ornate box. Inside were Raven's most prized possessions. She walked over, opened it, and picked up the small coin inside. She held the penny in her hands, feeling the cool metal on her palm. He would protect her, there was no doubt of that, not with this memento as proof of it. Maybe he was the only exception to her no-love rule. Maybe, just maybe, she could learn to love and be loved by Beast Boy.


	4. Africa (Toto), Part One

Raven, or rather Rachel, fiddled with the holoring on her finger. She understood why Robin had insisted on them, but man did she hate it. It was always unsettling when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and she saw someone else. She sighed. At least Cyborg had figured out a way for the holoring to numb her empathic powers, with EMF or radio waves or something, she believed. It made sitting in first class on the commercial jet so much more bearable. Though it didn't stop her from feeling the dread rolling off her teammate next to her. She was too attuned to him, she guessed. She looked at the pale, blond man next to her. Seeing Beast Boy - Garfield with his holoring on - like this was strange, and it wasn't just the lack of green pigmentation. He was staring out the plane's window, quiet. He was never quiet. But he had been quiet ever since the call.

It had been a day like any other that was low on crime. Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing some video game. Robin was explaining the rules to Starfire, the two of them sitting hand in hand. Raven was curled up with a book, reading and sipping on her tea.

Right as Beast Boy was getting the upper hand, about to win, an incoming call covered the screen, stopping the game.

"Aw, c'mon, dude!" Beast Boy said, exasperated.

Robin hopped up and rushed to the control panel to answer. He hid his shock as Rita's face appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Titans," Rita said.

"Rita!" Beast Boy exclaimed. He jumped up off the couch, his controller tumbling to the floor.

Rita smiled sweetly. "Hello, Garfield."

Robin put a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder, as if to hold him back from jumping through the screen, a slight smile gracing his lips. "What can we do for you, Rita?"

"Well." Rita paused. "I hate to do this, but I'm calling on behalf of Steve. We've been tracking a member of the Brotherhood of Evil here in Africa, and we're in need of Garfield's assistance."

Raven looked up from her book, to which she had been feigning interest, when she felt the mood in the room darkening. She watched as everyone turned to Beast Boy.

Robin pulled Beast Boy closer and whispered, "You know you don't-"

"I'll be there," Beast Boy cut Robin off shortly. Raven felt some weird emotions rolling off him.

"Beast Boy, are you sure?" Robin asked. "I know-"

"It's fine," Beast Boy cut him off again. "The Doom Patrol needs me; I'll be there."

"Thank you, Garfield," Rita said.

"I don't want him going alone," Robin said quickly. "Would you be willing to accept the help of another Titan?"

Rita paused for a moment. "I'm not sure Steve would necessarily approve, but I know the rest of us would appreciate the extra help."

Robin nodded and turned to his team. His eyes scanned them, as if asking who would be willing to go. "Cyborg-"

"I'll go." Raven stood up from the couch, her book falling to the floor and landing next to Beast Boy's fallen Gamestation controller. The other Titans turned to look at her in shock, though Robin also showed a hint of annoyance at being interrupted yet again. She could sense the negative emotions Beast Boy was emitting and knew something about this mission didn't settle well with him. She wanted to be there for him when he faced... whatever it was. Just like he was always there for her when she needed someone. But she couldn't tell her team that. They didn't know she had feelings for the changeling. "I can use my soul-self for a better defense, and if something happens, my healing powers could be of assistance. I'll go."

Robin nodded again "Raven will join Beast Boy, then. They'll be there as soon as they can."

Rita thanked the leader and ended the call.

The next few hours had been spent preparing for the trip. Since only the two of them were going, and five were needed to fly the T-Ship, Robin bought the pair flight tickets; the amount of money he had access to still shocked Raven, even knowing his secret identity. Cyborg was working on upgrading the holorings so the two Titans could fly in peace. Starfire dragged Raven to the alien's closet to find some cute outfits to take; no amount of Raven reminding her that it was a mission could deter her. "It is best to be the prepared," Starfire had said. Throughout it all, Beast Boy had been quiet, brooding.

A laugh too loud for the dark, sleeping plane pulled Rachel back to the present. She turned and glanced at the couple whispering to each other a few rows back. Turning on the small reading light overhead, she looked at her teammate. Instead of the usual green skin and hair she was used to, Rachel was looking at a lightly tanned man with dirty blond hair.

"Garfield?" Rachel placed a hand on his forearm. "What's wrong?"

Garfield slowly turned away from the window, his eyes falling on Rachel's hand. "Nothing."

"Garfield." Rachel's voice had enough command that the changeling finally met her gaze. Freckles lightly dusted his nose, and Rachel couldn't help but wonder if he had those without the holoring, and she had just never noticed. His bow-shaped lips were coral in color, not his usual dark green. The only thing that looked familiar was his dark, forest green eyes. Well, almost normal. There looked to be pain in them that the sorceress didn't think she had ever seen before, and she'd known the changeling for almost ten years now. "You've barely spoken and you haven't touched your food. Not to mention, I'm an empath; I can feel your unease. What's wrong?"

The changeling swallowed heavily. "Nothing good ever happens in Africa." He pulled away from Rachel's touch and turned back to the window.

Sensing his apprehension, Rachel sighed. She could tell avoidance when she saw it. Hell, she was a master at avoidance. It was no use prying; he'd talk when he was ready. Rachel leaned her head back against her seat and closed her eyes. May as well try to get some sleep in before the mission.

~0~0~

_Beast Boy flew high in the night sky, the moon luminous upon his wings. Below him, the Serengeti stretched endlessly, and the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro loomed over the land. Tilting one side, Beast Boy flew towards the mountain. Behind it stretched hundreds of miles of forest. The Congo. Something bothered the changeling about this, but he ignored the feeling and continued soaring towards the trees. If Beast Boy had thought the Serengeti had been endless, then this forest reached on even further into infinity._

_The cool, night air slowly grew more humid as Beast Boy continued over the jungle. His star-dusted wings beat like the drums he heard so often in his childhood. Rising and falling with the thermals, the hawk-shaped changeling scanned the earth below him. There was movement in the canopy of the trees. Had Beast Boy been looking with human eyes, all he would have seen was leaves blowing in a breeze, but hawks had much better vision than man. A troop of monkeys, green monkeys, were leaping through the branches and vines. Beast Boy felt a pang in his right wing, about where his forearm would be, the ghost of a long forgotten injury._

_"It's the Sakutia virus," an incorporeal voice echoed. "Damn monkey bit him._

_"He's going to die if we don't try. It's the only possible cure."_

_Beast Boy wasn't quite sure where these words, this memory, came from, but he could feel it all the same. Fear and panic. A blistering fever. His muscles began to ache and cramp._

_The sound of roaring water drew Beast Boy's attention back to the jungle below him. Wanting to rest his wings, he turned towards the noise. It was a large waterfall cascading over a cliff, trees and other greenery hugging it on both sides. Beast Boy landed on a branch and watched as the water crashed over the cliff and continued into the river below. Sunlight glistened off the moving water and created rainbows in the spray. It was peaceful._

_Suddenly, a scream pierced through the sound of the waterfall. Beast Boy, startled, dropped to the ground and shifted back to his human form, scanning for the source of the interruption. He spotted a boat, a small dinghy, caught in the rapids of the river. Two people, a man and a woman, sat in it, frantically trying to turn themselves around with their oars, but to no avail. Beast Boy recognized the couple..._

_"Mom? Dad?" Fear froze Beast Boy in place, unable to move, unable to change. Unable to help. "Mom! Dad!"_

_"Garfield!" his mother called. "Fly, Garfield! Go!"_

_Beast Boy struggled, but he still couldn't move. He had to get to them. He had to save them, or else they'll die. Tears began to stream down his cheeks. The dinghy was almost to the edge of the waterfall. He had to act now, or else they'd go over. He strained, but whatever was holding him in place refused to budge. "MOM!"_

_"Go, Garfield! Garfield!"_

"Garfield!" A hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him, startling him awake.

His heart was racing as he turned, wide-eyed with fear, as he turned to the owner of the hand. He found himself looking at an unfamiliar woman. She had pale, ivory skin and was sporting a short, black bob. Her lips were full and round, the lower one having a slight burgundy color as it rounded towards the inside of her mouth, as if she bit or chewed on it often. Her nose was small, though proportionate with her heart-shaped face, and was slightly upturned. He met her eyes and was engrossed. They were a dark blue with flecks of violet sparkling in them.

The woman put her hand on his cheek and he felt calm flow through him. "Garfield?"

At the sound of her voice, it all came crashing back to him. He was on a plane, on his way to Tanzania to help Rita. But he hadn't come alone, he had a teammate come with him. "Raven?" he inquired, his voice hoarse.

The corners of her lips twitched and her cheeks seemed to be slightly pinker than before. She quickly removed her hand from Garfield's cheek, dropping it to her lap. "Rachel."

Garfield nodded his understanding, putting together why she didn't look like herself. They were undercover.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Just a bad dream," he responded.

Unsure of what to say, comforting words had never really been her thing, Rachel took Garfield's hand and squeezed it, and Garfield felt himself calming down even more. He knew it was Rachel's doing, and, had it been anyone else, he would have been mad at the control he no longer had over himself, but he knew Rachel wouldn't sway anyone's emotions if she didn't feel it were absolutely necessary. She didn't like holding her power over others. "We're almost to Kilimanjaro," she said. "We'll be landing in about ten minutes."

Garfield grunted his understanding and leaned his head back against his seat. The two Titans sat in silence, neither fully aware that Garfield's hand was still in Rachel's grasp.

~0~0~

Rachel stretched as she stood waiting outside the Kilimanjaro International Airport, thankful to be out of the sardine can that was an airplane. Sweat trickled down the back of her neck. Azar, was it hot. And humid. She pulled her hair back into a small ponytail and looked around, hoping to see one of the Doom Patrol, but she didn't recognize any of the small number of people milling around her.

"Any sight of them?" Garfield asked, coming up behind Rachel with their luggage. He had offered to wait in baggage claim so she could get some fresh air after the flight. He handed her overnight bag to her outstretched hand.

"Not yet." Rachel put her hand up to her forehead to block the sun. _Why didn't I bring a pair of sunglasses?_ She could feel a tickle of apprehension coming from her teammate next to her.

"Garfield!" a woman cried out.

The two Titans turned to see a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties walking towards them. She was tall and thin, with shoulder length, brunette hair in vintage curls. A scarf was tied around her neck and sunglasses were resting on her nose. Her dress had a tight, navy blue bodice with a bateau neckline and a white and navy floral skirt that pouffed out and fell to just below her knees. On her feet were a pair of navy blue, ankle strap pumps. She looked like an actress from the thirties had just stepped of screen and into real life.

"Rita!" Garfield exclaimed, his negative feelings instantly gone. He ran over to the newcomer and embraced her in a giant bear hug.

Rachel grabbed his suitcase he had left behind and walked over to the reuniting pair. "Hey, Rita."

The hero looked at Rachel over Garfield's shoulder. "Hello... Rachel?"

"Rachel," the empath confirmed.

"It's good to see you again," Rita said, finally managing to push away from Garfield so she could hug Rachel. "It's been too long."

Rachel stiffened in Rita's arms before snaking her arms up to slightly return the hug.

"So where are we going?" Garfield asked, causing Rita to pull away from Rachel, much to the empath's delight.

Motioning for the Titans to follow, Rita began walking towards the parking lot. "We've been on the trail of an unknown member of the Brotherhood of Evil for a few months. We're not quite sure what they're up to, but they've been stealing from the tribes throughout the continent." She led them to a Land Rover and helped them get their luggage loaded and themselves into the car, Garfield in the passenger seat and Rachel in the back, before continuing. "After following them deep into the Serengeti, we realized that, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't catch up to them, Steve thought it best to call in some help. And that's where you come in."

Rita pulled the car out of the parking lot and took off in the direction of the savanna. Garfield and Rita continued chatting, catching each other up on all that's happened since the last time they met. Rachel sat in the back, her head on the window looking out. The motion of the car and the low voices of her friends lulled her, and without even realizing it, she eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.

~0~0~

"Wake up, Raven. We're here."

Raven opened her eyes as someone gently shook her awake. A green face filled her view. Beast Boy must have removed his holoring. He turned and walked towards a camp set up a few feet away. She removed her own holoring, thankful to look like herself again, got out of the car, and followed Beast Boy.

"Hey, look who made it!" a deep voice called. A large metal man clunked his way over to the two Titans.

"Cliff!" Garfield fist-bumped the robotic hero. "Long time, no see!"

"Hello, Garfield," Larry deadpanned, placing a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "Raven." He nodded at the empath.

"Garfield." Steve stepped out from one of the tents.

Beast Boy's shoulders tensed. "Steve," he said, all excitement drained from his voice. He turned towards his adopted father.

Nobody moved as the two looked at each other, sizing each other up. The tension was thick in the air, and Raven could feel Beast Boy's resentment hit her like a tsunami.

Just when Raven was starting to think the silence would never end, Rita spoke. "Well. We don't have much longer before nightfall. We should help our friends set up the tent, then we can have dinner." She turned to Raven and Beast Boy. "I hope you don't mind sharing a tent. We only have one extra."

Raven shook her head. "Not at all. We're used to odd sleeping arrangements while on missions." She looked at Beast Boy, expecting him to make a stupid joke about how all the ladies want to bed him or something, but he remained oddly quiet.

"Good," Rita said. She directed Larry, Cliff, and Beast Boy to pitch the tent while Raven went to get the two overnight bags from the Land Rover. After about half an hour, and a lot of bickering among the three men, the tent was finally up and Raven had unrolled two sleeping bags inside.

The sun had begun to set, the savanna silhouetted against an orange and purple sky. The six heroes were sitting around the fire, eating the beans and hot dogs Rita had cooked while the others had set up the sleeping bags inside the tents. Cliff and Beast Boy were swapping ghost stories while Larry listened, Rita and Steve were talking quietly to each other, and Raven sat watching the embers from the fire float up and join the emerging stars in the darkening sky. She was in awe at how many stars there were this far from any light pollution.

"She opened her eyes and the psycho killer was still at the window, holding her dead boyfriend's head. Slowly, he raised his other hand, the car keys dangling from his fingers."

"Ooh, that's a good one, Cliff," Beast Boy said. "My turn."

Raven rolled her eyes. Despite the fact that Beast Boy watched so many horror movies, he was never the best at telling scary stories.

"There used to be this animal testing center. They worked with some real controversial stuff, like weaponizing dogs, but the public didn't really know about it. One night, the scientists were there working late. All of a sudden, the whole town lost power, including the testing center. The military, who was funding the operation, came out to restore power, but by the time they got there, not a living soul was left. No animals, no people. And no trace of them, either, besides a few splotches of blood. Nobody knew what happened, so the military paid off the scientists' families and swept the whole thing under the rug."

"You call that a story?" Cliff scoffed.

"Hush up, metal brain," Beast Boy shot back jokingly. "I'm not done."

Cliff put his hands up in mock surrender, but didn't say anything else.

"Years went by, and rumors began to spread, stories of howls in the middle of the night. Small animals going missing. The houses closest to the abandoned testing center were put up for sale, and for significantly lower than market price. That's how this one young woman, Stephanie, was able to buy a house and move in. It was a nice little two-story that backed up to the woods. She was from out of town, so she had never heard the stories. She lived alone, and for a while, nothing happened. Then weird things started happening. When Stephanie would come home from work at night, she'd feel like someone was watching her. She'd hear weird scratching and sniffing at night, but nothing was ever there. One day, she came home early to find large scratch marks at eye level on her door. That night's when the howling started. After weeks of little to no sleep, Stephanie finally decided to find out what was out in there. She grabbed the only thing she had that could be used as a weapon, a kitchen knife, and a flashlight and headed out into the dark forest. It was hours before she came across anything, but when she did, she felt her determination fade into terror. On the ground was a giant dog paw print, bigger than any she had ever seen before. A branch snapped behind her, and she turned around, but nothing was there. She decided she needed to get back to her house. Whatever was out here wouldn't get her there. She started running, but after a while, she realized she was lost. That's when she started hearing it. Far off, but coming closer. Twigs were snapping, leaves rustling, even though the air was still. Then, from right behind her -"

Loud chirps and yips whipped through the air, interrupting Beast Boy's story. Raven jumped, her hand instinctively shooting for her teammate's hand next to her.

Beast Boy chuckled. "It's okay, Rae. It's just African wild dogs."

Blood warmed to Raven's cheeks and she quickly let go of Beast Boy's hand. "Right. African wild dogs. Close to camp."

"We'll be fine," Beast Boy chuckled, placing his arm around Raven's shoulders. "As long as we leave them alone, they'll leave us alone."

Somehow, Raven's face felt even warmer. She pulled Beast Boy's arm off her shoulders and shot him a glare.

"I forgot you grew up out here," Larry said.

"You did?" Raven didn't know much about Beast Boy's time before the Doom Patrol.

"Yeah. I spent a few years out here with my parents." Beast Boy smiled softly. "It was some of the best days of my life. My parents were scientists, constantly working with animals. It was great. Then my parents' research took us to the Congo. That's where I fell in love with monkeys." The changeling trailed off as he began to reminiscence. Suddenly, the smile vanished. "I... I think I'm gonna go ahead and go to bed. Night, guys."

Raven watched as he got up and went into their tent. "That was... unexpected."

For the first time since eating, Rita joined the conversation. "You don't know what happened?"

The empath shook her head. "He doesn't really talk about his past much."

Rita nodded. "I don't blame him. It wasn't exactly a great one."

"What happened?'

"It's not our story to tell," Steve said, cutting a silencing glance to the rest of his team.

"Just know that he values his family with your team so much more than you may realize," Rita said. "Now, I think it's best we all go to sleep as well. We have a long day ahead of us."

Raven helped clean up then found her way back to the tent she shared with Beast Boy. Her teammate was already in one of the sleeping bags, facing the side of the tent. She couldn't see if he was asleep or not, though his breathing was shallow and steady. With his back to her, Raven stripped out of her civilian clothes, put on her pajamas, and climbed into her own sleeping bag. She couldn't help but worry about Beast Boy. He was never this quiet, and, if she allowed herself, she'd feel unnerved. She considered prying with her powers, but she knew that would be crossing an unforgivable line. If Beast Boy wanted her to know what was wrong, he'd tell her. With a sigh, Raven turned on her side and fell asleep, unaware that her teammate next to her was still awake, tears staining his cheeks.

~0~0~

Shouting woke Beast Boy with a start. With barely a delay, his hero reflexes kicked in and he was out of his sleeping bag, pulling his shirt on. The clock on his communicator was reading 3:08 am.

Raven was much slower rising. "What's going on?" she asked sleepily as she pulled herself out of her sleeping bag and wrapped herself in her cloak.

_Did I just see her in her pajamas?_ Beast Boy shook his head. He needed to keep a clear head if he was going to have to fight. "Not sure. Doesn't sound good."

"Garfield! Raven!" Larry called from outside the Titans' tent. "We're under attack!"

The two raced out of the tent. One of the other tents was on fire, and there were masked villains running amok. Rita and Steve were fighting back-to-back while Cliff and Larry were each fighting a number of bad guys on their own. With a nod at each other, they separated. Beast Boy headed towards Larry, who was fighting five men at once. He morphed into a gorilla and leaped onto the bad guy closest to him, knocking him out in an instant. He moved on to the next one, then the next, morphing into pterodactyl, tiger, t-rex, and hawk.

After what felt like at least an hour, Beast Boy morphed back to his normal self, panting with his hands on his knees. "Anyone else feel like there's no end to these guys?'

Suddenly, the villains all froze and slumped over.

"Androids?" Larry asked.

A giggle echoed through the camp. "Very realistic, aren't they?"

Beast Boy turned towards the source of the voice, only to see a shockingly confused Raven standing next to Cliff. Except something looked off about Cliff. With a look of melting wax, the robotic form of Cliff melted into that of a black-haired woman.

"Gemini!" Raven said with a gasp.

"That's right," Madame Rouge's daughter said, grabbing Raven and injecting something into her. Raven went limp, Gemini barely catching her before she hit the ground.

"Raven!" Beast Boy wanted to act, but his feet were frozen in place.

"Hello, again, Beast Boy. Long time, no see."

The remaining Doom Patrol members looked at Beast Boy with confused looks.

"Let her go," Beast Boy growled. Something was stirring deep inside him. Something he had almost forgotten about. He pushed down his anger, fighting for control.

Gemini smiled. "No, I don't think I will." She pulled out something and threw it at the ground. There was a bright light and a loud bang, rendering the heroes useless.

Ringing echoed in Beast Boys ears as his eyes tried to readjust to the darkness of the night. When he could finally make sense of the scene in front of him, he saw that both Gemini and Raven were gone. Rage began to overcome the changeling. Raven was gone, and all he had done was stand there like he was useless. His body began to shake. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ It was his own fault Raven was gone. Slowly, he began to grow, to morph. _I couldn't protect her._ His limbs grew and his muscles bulged. _Raven._ Beast Boy vision turned red as he went on a rampage. It didn't matter what stood in front of him or what got in his way, he had to save her. He couldn't lose her too.

"Garfield? Garfield!" someone's voice echoed.

Beast Boy felt something hit his head and his vision turned black. _Raven. She's gone._


End file.
